Families across the country are being called on to share their views on childcare services in Australia, as part of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) year-long inquiry into the sector.
Chair of the ACCC, Gina Cass-Gottlieb invited parents and guardians to complete a short online survey before 31 May to share their experiences when looking for and using childcare services.
“The ACCC is seeking to understand people’s preferences when it comes to childcare, including whether there are potential barriers to accessing the right types of childcare and whether childcare services are affordable,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.
“The perspectives of parents and guardians who don’t currently use childcare will also be useful to the ACCC’s inquiry,” she said.
“We want to hear directly from parents and guardians so our work on the Childcare inquiry can provide a complete picture of the factors impacting the price and availability of childcare in Australia.”
Ms Cass-Gottlieb said the survey asked about preferences and experiences when looking for childcare, including how parents and guardians evaluated different childcare services, how many waitlists they joined, and whether waiting for a place delayed return to employed work, volunteering or study.
She said the ACCC was also interested in hearing from those who may have switched childcare services and the reasons for this.
“We want this report to reflect the diverse needs and experiences of families across the country,” the Chair of ACCC said.
“First Nations families, culturally and linguistically diverse families and parents and carers of children with a disability or complex needs are strongly encouraged to take part.”
Ms Cass-Gottlieb said information collected from the survey would shape the ACCC’s reports due to the Treasurer on 30 June and 31 December 2023.
The ACCC’s Parents and Guardians Survey can be accessed at this PS News link.
